Tap Water in Fresno, CA

Friday, December 4, 2009

For the longest period of time I used to hear folks say when they found out what the odd contraption was by the kitchen sink and asking what it was, they would say, “I don’t need a water filter. The water coming out of the tap is just fine for me.” I used to reply you either use a water filter or you become one! I guess for some people the old adage “ignorance is bliss” applies across the board, but when it comes to the most precious and important resource on the globe, people need to be educated to the choices they make, or in the case of tap water, suffer the consequence.

The Associated Press recently stated that tap water has shown traces of prescription drugs in municipal drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans and in 24 major metropolitan areas – all the way from Southern California to Northern New Jersey. That alone should have you scurrying for a high quality water filter. I am amazed by people who spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars each month for health insurance, but won’t spend a dime on a good water filter, arguably the most important investment they could make for their health.The AP also stated that the presence of antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones are lurking in our municipal drinking water. Are my pecs looking different honey? No wonder kids have a hard time studying? Who said summertime and the living was easy! Why don’t people care about an issue that can be ultimately life threatening? Probably because when it comes to their health they are totally ignorant about the importance of good, clean, refreshing water. They will load up on all the popular vitamins and minerals that are touted as important for their well being, but the most important factor for a species that is comprised of 70-80% water is the daily intake of good clean water, the ultimate solvent.

What was once only viewed and practiced by the alternative community has now been thrust into the limelight and is seen as one of the most important health issues of our time. It can no longer be taken for granted that what is coming out of our tap is good for us, quite the contrary. It used to be only a third world issue where most disease stemmed from lack of hygiene. You know, don’t drink the water when traveling to Mexico. Our water has lurking dangers that may be responsible for a number of degenerative diseases. Diseases that are occurring at epidemic levels.

In 1998, almost 12 years ago, US companies reported to the Feds (only because they were forced to by those environmental pinkies) that they had released more than one billion pounds (450 million kilograms) of developmental and neurological toxins in the nation’s air and water. O what’s a wee bit of neurotoxins going to do? That’s one billion, folks! Dump er’ right here and let mother nature take care of it. We don’t want to impede your bottom-line, you industrial giants you! Here you go fellows, no worries. Hmm..where do you think all those neurotoxins went to? Eh, nothing that a bit of Ritalin or Adderol won’t take care of. By the way, I am sure you could get geometric with what may be dumped now legally and illegally by our Industrial Economic patriarchs 12 years later!

According to current research most tap and well water in the U.S., although considered “safe” by some governmental (think bribe) standards, even small amounts of heavy industrial and environmental pollution can cause severe illness over time. It used to be just chlorine and fluoride that had the alternative community scampering for a good filter, now its names that can’t be translated without Google! So the water that residents of California’s largest cities get from their taps might meet most government safety standards, they still pose some health risks and need to be treated more thoroughly, according to their own watchdog agencies. So again I pose the question, why isn’t everyone screaming “give me a great water filtration system, NOW!”

In Fresno, California the study found, the risk of drinking tap water may be downright scary. The study concluded that pollution from farm and industrial sources was a health concern, particularly for children and pregnant women. Fresno water showed “repeated problems” with nitrates, pesticides and industrial chemicals. Damn them farm boys, when will they use good old manure that has been composted. If it isn’t safe for pregnant women and children and people with compromised immune systems, than it ain’t good enough for me or you either…HELLO! (FRESNO HAS ONGOING SEWAGE DISCHARGES FROM THE SECRET REPLACEMENT OF THE CITY WATER SYSTEM - THIS, IN ADDITION TO THE UNKNOWN CHEMICALS USED FOR ERADICATION OF SEWER ROACHES, SEWER RATS AND MOSQUITO INFESTATIONS, IS ALL SEEPING INTO THE GROUND WATER AND RETURNING IN OUR TAP WATER! ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS TALK OF CITYWIDE CHEMICALS BEING ADMINISTERED TO KEEP RESIDENTS OBLIVIOUS TO WHAT IS TAKING PLACE. PUBLIC WORKS, BEHIND THE COVER-UP, WILL NOT ALLOW THE TAP WATER TO BE TESTED FOR PHARMACEUTICALS.Click: No Testing of Pharmaceuticals)

Los Angeles admitted to amounts of arsenic and byproducts of disinfectants in the water supply, and other chemicals. Ah, what’s a little bit of arsenic going to do he asked? Besides maybe those disinfectants might disinfect parts of me that need disinfecting! A San Diego study said that the chemical perchlorate was present in levels higher than acceptable by the state regulators. San Francisco has a major issue with disinfectants known as trihalomethanes that have been linked to cancer. Well, what do you know, its sounds like drinking water might not give you a nasty case of “Los Angeles Revenge”, but there is evidence it might eventually kill you. Let’s see what will it be diarrhea or death?

This is a vast and important issue and I will cover it in great depth. For now, I would suggest you begin to research the challenge you and your family face now and will probably face for years until we have some accountability for the by products of our culture which thrives on consumption and waste. I am a bit biased on which filter to use, but I think they all deserve a bit of unbiased investigation.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION: DISTURBANCE OF THE GROUND! Then look at my profile page for a review / evidence of the entire city being rebuilt on top of a new water system with virtually no enforcement of building standards, creating massive health, environmental, building and safety code violations. Is it any wonder that radon continues to escalate in Fresno, CA?Click: Marla

Friday, November 28, 2008

Before I begin my lesson on pharmaceuticals being eliminated through human waste, and how traces of it end back up in our tap water, please read this article:

Fresno doesn't test, but sure water is drug-free

The Fresno Bee03/10/08 23:15:50

Fresno does not test its water for pharmaceuticals -- and has no intention of starting until the state establishes a set of standards. If that happens, "we're willing to test," said Lon Martin, assistant director for the city's public utilities department.

When that day comes -- and Martin believes it will -- he is confident Fresno's water will contain none of the pharmaceuticals found in the drinking water of other major metropolitan areas such as Philadelphia and Detroit."Luckily for the city of Fresno, I don't think there's going to be a big impact," Martin said.Officials believe drinking water supplies are clean because of the region's geography and the distance between wells and the waste-water treatment plant.Martin said both Fresno and Clovis are on the east side of the Valley, closer to the Sierra Nevada, and the mountain range's annual snowmelt naturally recharges groundwater, essentially flushing out older water into lower parts of the San Joaquin Valley. Fresno -- and its wells -- are also at a higher elevation and far from the city's wastewater treatment plant, which is southwest of the city.The drinking water in other metropolitan areas where testing found pharmaceuticals often is drawn from the same source where treated water is discharged, places such as reservoirs or rivers.In Fresno, treated water is discharged into the ground, but most is pumped out and used on nonfood crops and for city landscaping. The plant's elevation is well below areas where potable-water pumps are located.Still, in 2003 and 2004, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency required the city to test a 25-square-mile area around the wastewater treatment plant, Martin said. Though the test was not specifically for pharmaceuticals, none were found in the test, he said.Asked whether there was a chance pharmaceuticals could be found in Fresno's drinking water, Martin said: "The same possibility as being struck by lightning in the next 30 seconds."http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lm15c3BhY2UuY29t

People take pills/medications; hospitals, homes, everywhere. Prescription and non-prescription. Some people abuse drugs. Pills, drugs, chemicals - they are everywhere! Once ingested into the system, only a portion of these drugs/chemicals are absorbed by our bodies. The rest passes through in human waste, which is flushed down the toilet. And lets not forget about all the people who dispose of unused and/or expired medications by flushing them down the toilet.

The water is sent to wastewater treatment plants, before returning to us in our tap water. Unfortunately, most treatments do not / cannot remove all drug residue. See the cycle in animation by clicking on this link: CLICK HERE!

Boasting about location being a benefit to filtering our water might have been true at one time. Not now. The secret altering of the city's water system entails ongoing discharging of toxic, disease-carrying raw sewage followed by unknown chemicals for the eradication of sewer roaches, sewer rats, and mosquito infestations, all of which is seeping into the groundwater. The group behind this is not licensed or authorized - no safety precautions being used.

Human waste+ pesticides = nitrates. Sewage back spills increase the levels of nitrates in tap water. The level of nitrates in Fresno's tap water has become so high that pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems are advised not to drink it! Boiling it increases the hazard! Nitrates in Fresno's Tap Water

Lon Martin goes on to say that the chances of Fresno having pharmaceuticals in our water is, "The same possibility as being struck by lightning in the next 30 seconds." And I say, PROVE IT! Pharmaceuticals are found in tap water across the nation - how ridiculous to even imply that Fresno's water would not contain such things. Take a look at the neighboring cities.

It appears that there is a serious problem taking place in Fresno / Clovis, CA that entails unknown chemicals/drugs being administered without people's (including children) knowledge or consent. To verify this would require having our water and/or sewage tested for pharmaceuticals. Now re-read the above article and see what comfort Mr. Martin's words bring.Residents need to stand up and demand their rights - the water needs to be tested by an OUTSIDE, reputable company.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

FRESNO, CA's SEWER AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN OVER BY A GROUP NOT LICENSED OR AUTHORIZED. They are secretly replacing the city's water system in preparation for, according to the ringleader, upcoming water diversion. The operation has been taking place over the past 45+/- yrs. No permits, inspections or safety precautions.Click: Marla

Prior to this, Fresno had clear, clean, delicious water. At this point, the tap water is so bad that pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems are advised not to drink it. (Boiling it increases the hazard.) Below is some information from various web sites pertaining to nitrates in Fresno's tap water (and more.)

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

I began reading up on the dangers of corroded sewer and water lines, after what the City of Fresno did to my family's properties. This took place at the same time of the citywide "upgrade." After being lied to and set up for annihilation by the risk analyst, followed by repeated exposure of in toxic, infectious, disease-carrying raw sewage, they had their heavy equipment operators replace sewer and water lines in the alley. That entailed destruction and reconstruction of the connecting properties. Then they altered their plat/parcel maps and aerial views to cover up the alterations and changes to property lines. The sewer layout below verifies exactly what they did.

This shows the sewer vent that went from 2' to 10' from the fence / property line. Connected to the city water meter in the alley that is now located 8' south of where the old one was.

At first, I did not understand what was causing the slime, sediment and foul odor coming from my tap water. The photographs below show my sewer and water lines were switched with corroded trash - done behind my back, without my knowledge or consent. This is taking place from one end of Fresno to the other, leaving property owners liable to maintain this mess.

When I first began my research, I did not even know about all the chemicals that are in our tap water - including lead. Then I learned that the Fresno County Health Dept. has a special program to educate people regarding lead poisoning, etc. Yet they refused to even acknowledge me when I notified them of my concerns regarding what had taken place, including the health issues that followed exposure to raw sewage back spills, pesticides used to eradicate sewer roaches and sewer rats, mosquito infestations, etc. There was illness, respiratory, infections, amputation, death. In fact, I could not even get a response. By now I realize that there is no help. One of the biggest and most corrupt operations in history is taking place in Fresno, CA - secret altering of our water system, in preparation for upcoming water diversion. The group behind this is not authorized or licensed, yet it appears that Public Works has turned our water and sewer infrastructures over to them.

Below is some information I collected from various web sites regarding the dangers of lead. It is important to understand the dangers of lead in our tap water.

While adults absorb about 11 percent of lead reaching the digestive tract, children may absorb 30 to 75 percent. The body stores lead mainly in bone, where it can accumulate for decades.

The Risks of Lead

Lead disrupts the functioning of almost every brain neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers between the body's nerve cells. The messenger calcium, for example, is essential to nerve impulse transmission, heart activity, and blood clotting, but if it doesn't work right, affected systems may also be askew. "Lead fits into binding sites that calcium should, so it can disturb cellular processes that depend on calcium. But there's no unifying theory that explains in detail what lead does to the central nervous system, which is where lead typically affects children."

While a child's chronic exposure to relatively low lead levels may result in learning or behavioral problems, higher levels can be associated with anemia and changes in kidney function, as well as significant changes in the nervous system that may, at extreme exposures, include seizures, coma and death."

"When lead exposure in the uterus is quite high, the impact can be devastating on the fetus, causing serious neurological problems." High lead exposures can cause a baby to have low birth weight or be born prematurely, or can result in miscarriage or stillbirth. "When lead exposure in the uterus is quite high, the impact can be devastating on the fetus, causing serious neurological problems."

Certain drinking water systems can also pose a lead risk. The main culprits are corroded lead plumbing, lead solder on copper plumbing, and brass faucets. Lead is highest in water left in pipes for a long time--for example, when the faucet isn't used overnight.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/101/threesteps

Lead, While lead, a neurotoxin, may not be present in your public water supply, it can enter your water through old pipes. Pregnant women and parents of young children should have their water tested for lead. Lead, a heavy metal, can cause brain damage and developmental problems in children and adversely affect blood pressure, kidneys and red blood cells.~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~http://w3.newsmax.com/a/waterwise/?s=al&promo_code=39A7-1

The accumulation of arsenic, nickel, copper, and lead in the soil profile was determined beneath five urban storm-water retention/recharge basins used by the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District, California. Soils were sampled from the surface to the first zone of saturation and compared with soils from an adjacent uncontaminated control site. These elements were found to be accumulating in the first few centimeters of basin soil and are important to the effectiveness of a specific best management practice, i.e., the retention and recharge of urban storm water. Study basins in use since 1962, 1965, and 1969 had lead contents in the 0-2 cm soil depth interval of 570, 670, and 1400 mg Pb/kg soil, respectively. The median indigenous soil lead concentration was 4.6 mg/kg soil. The practice of removing excess flood runoff water from two basins by pumping apparently is a factor in reducing the accumulation rate of these elements in the surface soils of the basins.

"Fresno's water supply, which the report cites as the worst of the four, has serious problems caused by nitrates, pesticides and industrial chemicals.""Perhaps acknowledging the problem, the city of Fresno this year urged that pregnant women and parents of infants consult with their health care providers about their tap water." "Nitrates and other contaminants are a serious problem in Fresno's tap water," said Dr. Beatte Ritz of Physicians for Social Responsibility, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of California at Los Angeles School of Public Health. "Last year the city itself told pregnant women to avoid drinking it. That's good advice." "Fresno, San Diego and San Francisco don't adequately inform their residents about contamination," said NRDC's Olson. "Californians have a right to know what's in their tap water and whether it might harm them."

Fresno, California, is the only community in the United States to have received a grade of F from the Natural Resources Defense Council for protection of our source water, and we received grades of D for Water Quality and Compliance, and for Right-to-Know Reports. Our watersheds have been rated as among the dirtiest/worst in the nation on the Environmental Scorecard. ______________________________________________

Fresno does not test its water for pharmaceuticals -- and has no intention of starting until the state establishes a set of standards. If that happens, "we’re willing to test," said Lon Martin, assistant director for the city’s public utilities department.

When that day comes -- and Martin believes it will -- he is confident Fresno’s water will contain none of the pharmaceuticals found in the drinking water of other major metropolitan areas such as Philadelphia and Detroit.

"Luckily for the city of Fresno, I don’t think there’s going to be a big impact," Martin said.Officials believe drinking water supplies are clean because of the region’s geography and the distance between wells and the waste-water treatment plant.

Martin said both Fresno and Clovis are on the east side of the Valley, closer to the Sierra Nevada, and the mountain range’s annual snowmelt naturally recharges groundwater, essentially flushing out older water into lower parts of the San Joaquin Valley. Fresno -- and its wells -- are also at a higher elevation and far from the city’s wastewater treatment plant, which is southwest of the city.

The drinking water in other metropolitan areas where testing found pharmaceuticals often is drawn from the same source where treated water is discharged, places such as reservoirs or rivers.

In Fresno, treated water is discharged into the ground, but most is pumped out and used on nonfood crops and for city landscaping. The plant’s elevation is well below areas where potable-water pumps are located.

Still, in 2003 and 2004, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency required the city to test a 25-square-mile area around the wastewater treatment plant, Martin said. Though the test was not specifically for pharmaceuticals, none were found in the test, he said.

Asked whether there was a chance pharmaceuticals could be found in Fresno’s drinking water, Martin said: "The same possibility as being struck by lightning in the next 30 seconds."